Lawrence Cherono uses a late kick to sprint his way to a Chicago Marathon victory

Cherono, from Kenya, outsprinted his two main competitors for a Chicago Marathon victory in 2 hours, 5 minutes and 45 seconds. After the final turn, he pulled ahead of Ethiopian Dejene Debela (2:05:46) for the win. Asefa Mengstu, also of Ethiopia, finished third (2:05:48).

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Cherono also used a strong kick to win the Boston Marathon (2:07:57) in April. The victory marked his eighth career marathon win and second in a world major race.

“Winning a major race is a special thing to me,” he said. “Not everybody can win a major race like this. They were waiting last minute to see who wins the race. I became lucky by winning it. I was very excited. I’m very motivated. I’m happy for it.”

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After shaking his hands with his competitors, Cherono knelt on the red finish line with a white towel around his neck and water bottle at his side, folding his hands in prayer.

Unlike the women’s race where Brigid Kosgei blasted off from the start on her own en route to a world record finish, the men’s race was more competitive and tactical.

Cherono stayed with a pack of nine runners through about the first eight miles and that whittled down to six and then four. MengstuTura was with Debela and Cherono until the final hill, then it was clear it was a race between two.

Cherono had pushed previously but others came with him. This time, he said, he felt he had enough energy to make one more hard go — and he kept himself just far enough ahead of Debela.

“All of a sudden when we reach 41 kilometer, the (other runners) were not going again,” he said. “I decided to kick and felt I was still having enough energy to sprint. I tried my luck and it worked.”

American Galen Rupp dropped out after mile 22 and received medical attention for a calf strain, according to a statement from his agent Ricky Simms sent to marathon officials. Rupp was competing for the first time this year — and since last year’s fifth place finish in Chicago — after an Achilles’ tendon tear that required surgery.

Defending champion Mo Farah, who set a European record here last year, finished in eighth with a time of 2:09:58.

It was his worst marathon finish since finishing eighth in London in 2014 in 2:08:21. He won in Chicago last year in 2:05:11.

The American male runners put in strong time performances. Jacob Riley, the top American man, finished ninth in 2:10:36, while Jerrell Mock finished 10th in 2:10:37 and Parker Stinson 11th in 2:10:53.

They said they took turns leading the pack after the pacers dropped out.